Office Cubicles

The Office Cubicle.  For many, the very phrase conjures images of beige walls, fluorescent lights and a sense of isolation. Born from a desire for efficiency and a degree of personal space in the ethos of corporate office design ideas of the mid-20th century, the cubicle has become an enduring, if often maligned, symbol of today’s modern office architecture.

Its journey from revolutionary design to a subject of both ridicule and surprising resilience is a fascinating exploration of workplace evolution.

After 50 years of reinvention and refinement, much like today’s planes, trains and automobiles, these are not “your father’s cubicles”.

The task specific configurations of these dependable and enduring workspaces are found elsewhere on our site.  This specific page is dedicated to bringing all manifestations here under one single URL.

On this page – as elsewhere – you will find various cubicles configurations each suited for a particular type of workflow.  Each optimized for the human factor and an individual’s way of positioning there body in relationship to their work area and the tools with which they perform their specific tasks.

Each available in a multitude of dimensions, each suited for optimized space utilization.  Each with their unique – and differentiating - aesthetical attributes.  Each to ensure the right cubicle in the right configuration, planned, designed and optimized to suit to your unique, office space and your team’s mission.

Ready to upgrade your office cubicles? Explore our extensive range to create a workspace that enhances productivity, privacy, and employee well-being.

 The Genesis of a Revolution: Robert Propst and the "Action Office" 

The story of the cubicle, in its most foundational sense, truly begins with Robert Propst and his groundbreaking “Action Office” concept. Developed under the innovative auspices of Herman Miller, Propst, by then the president of Herman Miller Research Corp, embarked on detailed studies on how people worked.  The motivation of course was to expand Millers product lines.

His investigations in the 1960’s led him to conclude then that “today’s office is a wasteland.  It saps vitality, blocks talent, frustrates accomplishment.  It is the daily scene of unfulfilled intentions and failed effort.”  Sound familiar?

Propst’s remedy to the imperfect office was Millers introduction of the world’s first open plan office system of reconfigurable components - aptly named “The Action Office System”.

Propst’s initial vision for the Action Office was, for its time, nothing short of radical: a flexible, highly modular componentized system meticulously designed to empower individual employees to customize their workspace precisely according to their specific needs; tasks and workflows.

His core philosophy was not about creating mere boxes or restrictive enclosures, but rather about liberating and empowering individual office workers by providing a satisfying and adaptable environment that would boost morale and get the animal spirit juices flowing in the direction of happy equal productive creativity.  A place to call home while at work.

The earliest iteration of the Action Office, particularly the AO-1, was a stark contrast to the typical cubicle that would become the ubiquitous desking system we today know and love!

Herman Miller Archived Literature - Action Office System 1

Cranbrook Art Museum Collection - Action Office System 1

Early Action Office Series Photos

However, the AO-1’s more unitized design - and consequently - more expensive approach proved challenging to scale for mass market distribution. It was the subsequent iteration, the AO-2, which offered greater scalability with its knocked-down componentized systemized approach that is more closely aligned with the panel-configurable-cubicle-partition workstation design that we readily recognize today.

This pivotal shift was largely driven by overwhelming corporate demand for greater cost-effectiveness, ease of manufacturing, and the simple, rapid reconfigurability of standardized workspaces.

The term "cubicle" itself, originally derived from the Latin "cubiculum" meaning a small sleeping chamber, gradually began to be applied to these partitioned office spaces, eventually becoming inextricably synonymous with the product itself.

Ceaser’s Proclamation – "Let There be Cubicles!“

 The Golden Age of Efficiency: Cuybicles Take Over Corporate America 

The 1970s and 80s witnessed an explosive proliferation of the Office Cubicle across corporate America. Businesses were experiencing rapid expansion after the double dip recessions of the early 80’s and the cubicle offered what appeared to be a perfect, highly efficient solution for housing an expanding workforce within finite physical spaces.

Its inherently modular nature meant that entire office layouts could – in theory - be reconfigured with relative ease to accommodate departmental shifts, team reorganizations, or the influx of new projects and personnel.

They also offered a degree of personal privacy that the open-plan offices it replaced clearly lacked, allowing individuals to concentrate on their work without visual distractions or the feeling of being constantly observed.

Whether Fahrenheit, Celsius or when making panel height comparisons, Degrees matter!

For many office workers the installation of cubicles represented a significant and tangible improvement over the previous, often exposed rows of desks that characterized earlier office designs.

Early 20th century office design scheme later to be identified as “open offices”

Each cubicle, however modest in size, represented a personal domain, a miniature territory that could be personalized with family photos, lively potted plants, and other small touches injecting a much-needed sense of individuality and engendering a sense of belonging into what could otherwise be perceived as impersonal corporate office environments.

This era also saw the rise of highly specialized applications, such as dedicated Call Center Office Cubicles. These were cleverly designed mission specific workstations that maximized employee density and – in theory - provided crucial acoustic separation, lessening noise bleed in environments where phone communication was the primary function.

 The Inevitable Backlash and the Seductive Return of the Open Plan 

Yet, as the cubicle became truly ubiquitous, its inherent drawbacks - perceived or real - became increasingly apparent and widely discussed. The very features that were initially lauded as advantageous—the high, opaque walls, the standardized and often monotonous design—began to feel distinctly oppressive and restricted.

The potential natural light blocking, the often drab and muted color schemes, and the relentless repetition of identical units contributed significantly to a growing sense of depersonalization and isolation.

Despite the physical partitions, ambient office noise remained a irritating issue, with conversations carried over – especially - low partition walls creating a pervasive and distracting cacophony.

It was during this period that the evocative and often pejorative phrase "cubicle farm" emerged, conjuring a vivid image of workers confined and rendered indistinguishable, a far cry from Robert Propst's initial, optimistic vision of an empowering, flexible, and human-centric environment.

The 1990s ushered in a burgeoning and increasing vocal backlash against the cubicle. Pop culture seized upon its symbolic power, satirizing it relentlessly and depicting it as the quintessential embodiment of corporate drudgery, stifling conformity, and soul-crushing boredom.

Iconic movies like the 1999 satirical comedy "Office Space", along with the iconic Dilbert comic strip, indelibly cemented its negative public image, portraying it as a place of mind-numbing repetition, bureaucratic absurdity, and severely stifled creativity. This period simultaneously witnessed the (re) emergence of a new (old) and captivating (foolish) design philosophy: the return to the Open Plan Office.

These new (again) open plan office layouts were touted as inherently promoting greater collaboration, fostering spontaneous interactions, and cultivating a more vibrant, dynamic, and ostensibly creative work environment. The compelling appeal of transparency and the promise of serendipitous, collaborative encounters led a multitude of companies to dismantle their cubicle walls and embrace a more communal and – theoretically - engaging workspace.

However, as is often the case in design and social trends, the pendulum eventually began its inevitable swing back. The open floor plan office layout while initially celebrated, soon revealed its own productivity-sapping set of challenges.

The very collaboration it promised to achieve often came at the expense of individual focus and deep thought concentration-necessary type work. Unsurprisingly ambient noise office and privacy-related issues, along with the unsettling feeling of being "on display" lead to distraction and heightened stress levels.

Employees found themselves seeking out secluded quiet corners, donning noise-canceling headphones, or even retreating to remote work locations (the office cafeteria in between mealtimes), ironically recreating the very isolated and focused office environments that cubicle panels and partitions had previously sought to provide.

 The Cubicle's Resurgence: Modern Adaptations and the Hybrid Frontier 

This brings us to the contemporary understanding and evolving role of the Office Cubicle. It has not, contrary to earlier predictions, entirely disappeared. Instead, it has undergone a significant metamorphosis, adapting to contemporary demands and, in many cases, a far more refined, aesthetically pleasing, and thoughtfully designed iteration.

Modern Cubicles are frequently lower in height (yes, a nod in the direction of a modern open office design), strategically allowing for greater profusion of natural light and promoting better visual connectedness across the office space, while – if designed thoughtfully - still offering some degree of crucial acoustic and visual privacy when specified.

The materials used are far more varied and sophisticated, often incorporating elements like clear or frosted glass, warm wood accents, and softer, sound-absorbing fabrics to create environments that are significantly less sterile and far more aesthetically inviting.

The design emphasis has subtly but profoundly shifted from simply partitioning space to creating dynamic "focus zones," or "concentration nooks" within a larger, more varied today’s open plan office interior design landscape.

The inclusion of adaptable ergonomic workspaces is now an essential component in any modern office space design layout.  Moving far beyond a simple flat worksurface to  hold your gear, todays ergonomically dynamic Office Cubicle Desk setups support diverse work styles, modern technological needs and offers a more humanistic, physiological-centric sensibility.  i.e. height adjustable desk stand.

Intriguingly, some contemporary designs even feature office cubicle with sliding doors like these highly engineered doors designed to seamlessly integrate with our o2 system.  These “enclosures” offering an immediate option for enhanced privacy without the full commitment or cost of a traditional, fully enclosed masonry or sheet-rocked walled private office.

And YES, those high cubicle walls of yesteryear have grown even taller and have added “appendages” in the form of traditional entry doors.

These Modular Office Walls are yesteryears cubicles on steroids.  Yes, the highly engineered components of systems furniture have finally morphed themselves into private office cubicles.

Available at various heights, depending upon the height of your office ceiling, a full floor to ceiling solution, or nearly so.  Our modular walls offer a great alternative to built-in-place walls with their requisite set of engineers’ drawings, municipal building permits, landlord approvals, construction downtime – not to mention the bloody mess - which all add time and expense.

Don’t take it from us, here’s what googles’ Gemini has to offer on the subject:

Modular office walls, also known as demountable, movable, or prefabricated walls, are versatile, non-load-bearing partition systems used to divide space within an existing building.

They are an increasingly popular alternative to traditional drywall construction, offering significant flexibility and a host of other benefits.

Key Beneficial Characteristics

• Prefabricated: They are manufactured in a factory and then shipped to the site in ready-to-assemble components (panels, framing, hardware).

• Easy Installation: They are assembled quickly on-site with minimal mess, dust, or disruption, often using mechanical fasteners.

• Reconfigurable/Reusable: The biggest advantage is that they can be easily disassembled, reconfigured, relocated, or reused as business needs change, unlike permanent drywall.

• Customizable: They come in a variety of materials and finishes, including solid hard & softer textile covered acoustic panels, wood-look laminate panels all with of without full or partial glass (clear or and frosted).  Can be specified with integrated electrical and hinged or sliding doors. All panel bases have troughs for data cabling passthroughs.

The seismic shift towards hybrid work models, dramatically accelerated and normalized by the global COVID-19 pandemic, has further complicated and reshaped the office landscape.

As fewer employees are physically present in the office on any given day, the traditional paradigm of a dedicated, assigned cubicle for every single employee becomes less necessary.

However, the undeniable need for quiet, focused work areas when employees are in the office remains critically important.

This evolving dynamic has led to a renewed and greater appreciation for the cubicle's inherent ability to provide a consistent, predictable, semi-private and private workspace crucial for tasks requiring focus and concentration.

Consequently, forward-thinking companies are now actively exploring a sophisticated blend of open, collaborative areas for team interactions, readily reservable private offices or "Hoteling Stations" for individual focused work, and more relaxed, comfortable lounge-style spaces designed for informal – and prearranged – collaborative meet-ups and brain storming sessions.

Professional office space planners and designers are increasingly embracing the concept of activity-based work design.  This Flexible workspace design approach, where different types of tasks are intentionally supported by different types of uniquely optimized designed spaces, is nothing new. Workspace design optimized for the work at hand is as old work itself.

The office cubicle and it thoughtfully modernized iterations, use their inherent modularity – the essential characteristic built into its DNA - to adapt and transforms itself into a space inhabited by humans that literally and figuratively supports the work processes of office workers wherever they might be.

Ultimately, the complex and often surprising journey of the cubicle profoundly reflects the ongoing and perennial quest to find the optimal and often elusive balance between fostering vibrant collaboration and enabling deep concentration, between maximizing organizational efficiency and prioritizing individual well-being in the modern workplace.

From Robert Propst’s initial, genuinely visionary “Action Office” to the much-maligned "cubicle farm" of the late 20th century, and now to its current, more nuanced, and thoughtfully integrated applications, the office cubicle remains an enduring testament to the persistent challenges and continuously evolving solutions in the intricate design of where and how we work.

The Office Cubicle past, present and future is on an evolving, adaptive continuum. It will undoubtedly continue to play an indispensable role in providing the essential elements of an individual’s workspace within the context of modern professional office environments.

It may never achieve universal adoration, but its undeniable and enduring presence serves as a powerful reminder that sometimes, even a seemingly small enclosure, defined by just three walls (many times 4), can provide a surprisingly valuable and necessary sense of personal space and productive solitude.  Just ask Arnold.